The Rainbow of Gemstones
Gemstones have represented many things for the human kind throughout the history: magic, myths, legends… Each gemstone is unique with a special color, birthplace and story. What they have in common however, is their shared beauty.
Diamond
Diamonds have been admired objects of desire since ancient times. Formed one hundred miles beneath the Earth’s surface over a billion years ago, diamonds are the hardest gem of all.
Today, diamonds are still admired all around the world. Until the middle of the twentieth century, there was no standard by which diamonds could be evaluated. GIA created the first, and now globally accepted standard for describing diamonds: Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight. Today, the 4C’s of Diamond Quality are the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world.
Ruby - Sapphire
It is an interesting fact that ruby and sapphire are both gems of the mineral corundum. Both of these gems have the same chemical composition and the same mineral structure. Trace amounts of impurities determine if a gem corundum will be a brilliant red ruby or a beautiful blue sapphire. It is surprising that little “impurities” can produce such wonderful differences!
The Ruby represents love, courage and emotion. To be considered a “ruby,” a corundum should have a color between orangey red and a slightly purplish red. The most desirable color is a pure vibrant red.
Trace amounts of iron and titanium can develop a blue color in corundum. Blue corundums are known as "sapphires." The blue can range from a violetish blue to a greenish blue. Stones with a rich blue color are the most desirable.
Emerald
For over 5000 years, emeralds have been one of the most desirable and valuable colored gemstones. Ancient civilizations in Africa, Asia, and South America independently discovered emeralds and made it a symbol of esteem.
In top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds. The deeper and more vivid the color of green, the more valuable the gemstone. The most valuable and beautiful Emeralds exhibit an intense bluish hue in addition to their basic bold green color.
Amethyst
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and the most valued member of the quartz family. It must be purple to be amethyst, but it can display a range of shades including deep purple, light lilac, lavender and mauve. Top quality amethyst is a deep medium purple with rose-colored flashes. Its purple color made it a stone of royalty for many thousands of years.
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